I'm looking to move university and begin a PhD, I'm currently finishing my masters thesis. The university department I hope to move to is very linked to my research ideas. I am thinking of applying for a PhD that has my own research idea, and there is an opportunity for this that is funded.

I want to write the research proposal but at the same time, I don't want to give away too much of my research idea. if I don't get onto the funded PhD, I don't want the idea to be stolen.

Any advice please would be appreciated. thanks.

1. It's very rare for people to steal ideas 2. your idea probably isn't that original anyway 3. You shouldn't consider working with people that you think might steal your ideas.

I have to disagree with ToL on this.
It doesn't matter whether stealing is rare or not.
It happens.
And it only needs to happen to you once.

You are right to be cautious in my opinion. It's the reason I don't talk publicly about work I have not published. It's not about having ideas above my station or anything like that. It's simply because I have spent a lifetime watching people abusing my trust and privacy. I don't trust anyone.

It is also easy to say "don't work with those who might steal your idea" but until crooks come with a barcode stamped on their foreheads it is not always possible to know who they are.

Unfortunately you are going to have to spell out what you want funded for. If you tell them too much you risk a good idea being nicked. If you leave out too much you risk getting rejected for funding. It's a balancing act and only you can judge.

I agree with both ToL and pm133 to degrees. It could happen but I think it is fairly unlikely that someone would nick the whole idea. They might think, "ooh, we could do that...", but to be honest that will happen anyway. Part of the reason I go to conferences is to get ideas - not to steal ideas but see what people are doing and how they're doing it.

Personally, I think you should apply for more than one PhD funding opportunity. If you apply for two, you are doubling your chances of getting an offer. So if one rejects you, you will have a chance to carry out your idea elsewhere (without having to wait for the next round of funding opportunities before you can re-apply). This isn't a solution but a strategy.

Also I think that since/if this is part of normal (though questionable) research culture then really we need to be thinking not about "how can I protect my idea from getting stolen", but rather "how will I develop this a step further/change its focus slightly if it does get stolen?" (or equally/more plausible - if someone else on the other side of the globe has a similar idea and carries it out before me).

Even now, having obtained funding and being well into my project, I could wake up tomorrow and see a study has been published that is on exactly what I am doing in my current study. I would feel destroyed but have to get over it and think bigger and beyond.

That last part is a very good point.
helebon certainly doesn't want to be reliant on just one big idea.
The reality is that a research career needs to be built on the ability to have many ideas.

Coming up with a few good ideas for projects and then applying for funding for each of those separately is great advice.

Thanks for the replies. I have a few research ideas.

Just to add - you can use the same idea/proposal for multiple applications - just tweak it slightly to fit the ad.

I'm just reading a book Your PhD Companion. it has stark warnings.
It mentions about a poor PhD student who had plenty of ideas but the supervisor took the ideas and turned them into research projects and took all the credit for themselves.

It mentioned that some supervisors are happy for the PhD student to take all the credit and the student is the only one named on a paper. But some supervisors at the other end will demand they are the lead author even though the PhD student did all the work - the idea, researched, written up and submitted by the student. This second situation sounds terrible!

It does!!! In fact, there was a recent thread on here about someone whose supervisor actually put their name first on their student's paper.

I think if possible the best thing might be to get an idea of who your potential supervisors would be before you apply. If you could have an informal meeting with them and arrange to chat to some of their students it would give you an idea of how they work. You won't be able to ascertain whether or not they would steal your idea, but you could chat to students about how they publish - if the students work is acknowledged as their own, how they treat the students, etc. At least then when you went to interview you would know more about the prospective supervisors who are interviewing you. Besides - you stand so much more chance of getting the funding if you have already established a bit of a relationship with them. Just like the student is apprehensive of what the supervisor might be like/do, I get the feeling that supervisors are apprehensive about what the student will be like (and more specifically whether they will finish it or drop out)!

So maybe try to meet prospective supervisors?